The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) released a report earlier this month regarding its findings in the investigation of the July 19 collision in which a tractor-trailer pushed another vehicle over the railing of the Chesapeake Bay Bridge. The most surprising conclusion of the report was that the driver of the tractor-trailer was on his first solo drive within the United States.
At the time of the collision, the tractor-trailer collided with a young woman’s car, sending it into another vehicle, and then over a railing. The woman’s car fell about 27 feet into 6 to 8 feet of water. The woman somehow managed to escape vehicle and swim to shore. According to reports, she was subsequently hospitalized for non-life-threatening injuries.
The report further indicated that the driver of the tractor-trailer was licensed in Canada and was a recent immigrant from Hungary to Canada. The driver emigrated as part of Canada’s Temporary Foreign worker pilot program, and was on his first drive in the United States without being paired with a more experienced driver. The report indicated that the driver had already made a delivery in Virginia and was on his way to pick up a load in Maryland when the accident occurred.
In this case, the circumstances are further complicated by the fact that the driver was not even licensed to drive within the U.S. This means that he most likely had little experience driving a commercial vehicle on U.S. roads, and the report states in fact it was his first solo trip on our roads. While questions were raised regarding why this driver was not accompanied by a more experienced driver, the answers could provide a potential basis for liability in a negligence lawsuit against the trucking company.
In Maryland, commercial drivers are held to specific standards, and any lawyer that is handling a trucking accident case has to be familiar with Maryland’s commercial vehicle law. A violation of those rules may be enough to hold a driver liable if something goes wrong while they’re out on the road.
If you or a loved one has been injured in a trucking accident that occurred in the Maryland or Washington D.C. areas, contact the preeminent trucking accident attorneys at Lebowitz & Mzhen Personal Injury Lawyers today. We are a full service personal injury law firm with an extensive track record of success in handling truck and trucking accident cases. Our firm’s collective experience gives us an advantage in handling issues unique to truck accident cases, such as with effective evidence collection, for example. Our attorneys are dedicated to representing victims of trucking accidents, and we will fight to recover the damages you deserve. Contact us today in order to schedule your free initial consultation. You can reach us through our website, or by calling 1-800-654-1949.
More Blog Posts:
Maryland Truck Driver Narrowly Escapes Injury in Guardrail Collision, Maryland Trucking Accident Lawyer Blog, published August 12, 2013
Baltimore Box Truck Driver Killed in I-95 Accident, Maryland Trucking Accident Lawyer Blog, published July 29, 2013